


Five times James finds Harry in the lower alleys

by PrettyPinkCupcake



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Rigel Black Chronicles - murkybluematter
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fanfiction of Fanfiction, Female Harry Potter, Gen, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, Rigelverse, Secrets Revealed, Set during the summer after 4th year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27951929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyPinkCupcake/pseuds/PrettyPinkCupcake
Summary: Five times James finds Harry in the lower alleys - and the one time that she escapes his notice.
Comments: 151
Kudos: 225
Collections: Rigel Black Chronicles Appreciation





	1. Monday, The Serpent’s Storeroom, Knockturn Alley

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfiction of murkybluematter's Rigel Black Chronicles and it will only make sense to fans of murkybluematter's Pureblood Pretense, Serpentine Subterfuge, Ambiguous Artifice and the Futile Facade.
> 
> If you haven't read these works, you've missed something significant in the world of Harry Potter FanFiction, so what are you waiting for? Read them!

James Potter, Head Auror, rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn as he listened to Auror William Aberly drone on about how he'd successfully dealt with last night’s brawl in Hogsmeade. James knew he should be paying more attention, but he was tired, never a good thing on a Monday morning. 

While Addy was no longer a newborn waking every couple of hours for a feed, toddlers were still exhausting, and toddlers with night terrors especially so. James briefly wondered how such a small person could take up so much space in his and Lily’s bed, and just how many arms, legs, knees and elbows his youngest daughter really had. Not that he really minded; he loved his family with a passion and would do anything for them. 

It didn’t make the current meeting any easier though. And unlike the night shift who were eagerly awaiting the end of the meeting so they could go home and get some sleep, James still had a full day of meetings ahead of him. 

Being Head Auror was generally a much more family friendly job than being a field auror, with standard office hours instead of night shifts and being on call. Except for extreme cases and emergencies, James could rely on his trusted deputies to look after most matters outside of office hours. Of course, having a desk job meant meetings, meetings, and more interminable meetings.

Beside him, John Dawlish was doodling on some parchment. It was good to have his deputy back. He’d missed Dawlish whilst he was teaching at Hogwarts, although it was a relief to have someone he trusted able to discreetly watch over Archie during Riddle’s damnable tournament. 

Dawlish discreetly poked him in the side. Oops. He glanced down at the agenda in front of him. Thankfully the meeting was almost over.

“Thank you, Auror Aberly, for that recap of last night’s events. Now, does anyone have anything else to raise before we move on to this week’s assignments?”

James groaned inwardly as Nympadora Tonks raised her hand. He liked the friendly pink haired trainee Auror, but she had a bad habit of somehow managing to make meetings longer.

“When will we be getting more protection potions in?” she asked. “There’s no more vials left in the potions supply cupboard.”

Potter’s Portable Protection Potion had become very popular amongst the Auror Department after spectators to the first task witnessed Archie contain a rampaging werewolf with the potion. It had become an unofficial must have in every Auror's kit.

“I think that’s a question for you, Master Grindel,” said James, nodding to the Auror Department’s Potions Master, Jeremy Grindel. Although nobody could be prouder than James of his daughter’s creation, James was acutely conscious of the need to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. James believed strongly in following the rules. “How long will it take you to brew another batch?”

Grindel looked embarrassed. “Although I’ve been working on this with the Unspeakables, I’m still having difficulty brewing this particular potion. I’m not actually aware of any brewers other than Potions Master Snape, and possibly Apprentice Lestrange, who have been able to replicate the technique required for this particular potion. I’m afraid I’ll have to commission some more batches from your daughter, Head Auror. I can’t say how long that will take; there’s usually a bit of a delay.”

“In the meantime, could we get reimbursed for any vials we buy?” asked Auror Jocelyn Stepson. “It’s just that I feel better knowing that I’ve got access to it.”

There was a general noise of agreement from the Aurors, particularly those who favoured night shifts.

“I wasn’t aware that any apothecaries were selling the protection potion,” Grindel said.

“There’s one in Knockturn that has it,” Auror Winston Murphy said. “I think it’s called the Serpent’s Storeroom." 

"Doesn't Horace Burke sell it through his owl order service?” asked Auror Desmond Tunstin.

James tried to avoid looking surprised and merely reminded the assembled Aurors that providing proof of purchase for tools required for the job was sufficient to claim reimbursement from the Department’s petty cash budget, as per the normal procedure. 

He tasked Grindel with making arrangements to commission more protection potions from Harry, reminding him to seek appropriate authorisations given James’s conflict of interest. James suggested that Harry might be able to supply them sooner, given that she was home from America over the summer, and muttered something non-committal about how she had been looking into the selling her potion to the public, not just the Auror Department, all the while taking careful note of the name of the _Knockturn Alley_ apothecary. 

Knockturn Alley?!? He’d told Harry many times how dangerous Knockturn Alley was. He just hoped that no one was taking advantage of his little Fawn.

\- - - - - - - 

There was absolutely no doubt about it; the Serpent’s Storeroom was definitely selling Potter’s Portable Protection Potion. They weren't even trying to hide it. James could see the lurid posters advertising the potion almost as soon as he stepped out of Diagon into Knockturn Alley.

A flicker of memory washed over him and James paused briefly before entering the gloomy store. This was the store that almost got burned down several years back during the search for that damnable Dominion Jewel. If he recalled correctly, the proprietor hadn’t been very happy being caught in the crossfire between the Aurors and one of the local vampire covens, and had been very vocal in his opinions about the raid and the Aurors. 

Once inside, James was surprised at the number of people in the apothecary. He hadn’t expected that many people to be interested in buying potions and potions and ingredients. But then, it was usually Remus or Lily who took Harry to the apothecary, before she started sneaking out by herself.

He looked around carefully, moving quickly towards the back of the store where he'd be relatively out of sight (although the carefully positioned mirrors, apparently designed to deter shop lifting, made it difficult to avoid being seen). James made as if he was browsing the somehow almost familiar looking potion bottles placed on shelves at the back of the store whilst keeping a close yet surreptitious watch on the man in lab robes and apron standing behind the front counter, who he assumed to be the proprietor.

While James wasn't going to leave without answers, he didn’t particularly want to make a scene, particularly given the remembered belligerence of the proprietor, and the hint of menace that accompanied the man behind the counter (he had a fighter’s stance and a rather visible scar along his jawline that spoke of past violence), so James waited until the other customers had left. 

When it was just James and the proprietor, James picked up two bottles from the display stand, one of the protection potion, one of the ward disruptor, and placed them on the front counter. The labels on the bottles were the design he’d given Harry as a present for her 14th birthday last year. James's parental antennae were on high alert.

“I’ve got some questions about these potions,” he began.

“Have you, now,” came the response in a rather unfriendly tone. Oops. Perhaps wearing his official Auror robes might not have been the best idea for a simple fact finding mission. 

“Head Auror, James Potter,” he said, flashing his Auror badge. James could play it hard too, if that was what the man wanted.

“These are restricted potions,” he began.

“Says who?” asked the proprietor. “The recipe was published in the Potions Guild Journal well over a year ago. It’s not been patented. The Guild’s Safety Division didn’t provide any warnings. Anyone who can brew it can sell it through a licensed distributor.”

“Did you brew these potions then?” 

“I’m a licensed distributor. I employ brewers.”

“So who is your brewer?”

“My brewer prefers to remain anonymous.”

James stared at the proprietor, wondering where he could go from here. The proprietor stared back, unblinking. Neither moved.

Their frozen tableau was broken only by the door to the shop opening. Both turned to look at the newcomer, clad in dark brewing robes and carrying two crates of potions. The newcomer had a familiar dark headed mop and green eyes.

“Harry?!?” James exclaimed.

“Dad?!?”


	2. Tuesday, Maywell Clinic, Wormwood Row

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

James Potter was still feeling a bit discombobulated after his encounter with his oldest daughter in the Serpent’s Storeroom yesterday when he got the Floo call from the Maywell Clinic. It was unsettling to realise that there were parts of his daughter’s life that he just didn’t know about.

Despite warning her about the dangers of Knockturn and the Lower Alleys, it appeared that Harry had a fairly long standing relationship with the Serpent’s Storeroom, and the proprietor, Edgar Krait. And to think that Caleb Tate, of Mulpepper’s Apothecary, Harry’s favourite Diagon Alley store, had recommended the Knockturn Alley apothecary to her.

Harry had always been self contained, close mouthed, independent, and while she regularly owled letters to her parents during the school term, James sometimes felt that the Harry of the letters and the Harry of the school breaks was a very different person.

James had to admit that he’d not followed up on Harry’s sale of her protection potions when she’d first mentioned it last year. Not that she’d spoken to him about it either. 

Sirius hadn’t known either about Harry’s potions business. Lily said she’d suspected Harry was either selling her potions or donating them to St Mungos. It’s what brewers do, she’d said, no doubt thinking of her former friend. 

Lily hadn’t investigated, out of respect for her daughter’s independence, she’d said, although James wondered if there was more to it than that. For all that Lily was a really powerful witch, and insatiably curious and very knowledgeable about magic, there was a lot she didn’t know about magical society. She tended to stay within those parts of the wizarding world that she knew, her home, her work, her friends, her favourite stores and well worn haunts in Diagon Alley, rarely venturing further. 

As a muggleborn, Lily hadn’t always had an easy time acclimating to the cultural mores of magical society. Although Lily had easily outshone the other witches at the Parkinson’s new year gala, he knew it hadn’t been easy for her. Perhaps her reluctance to hover over Harry was because she disliked having to deal with people who looked down on her because of her parentage. 

Remus had been strangely quiet when James broached the issue of Harry selling her potions. Perhaps he’d known. James found Harry’s closeness with Remus both pleasing and disquieting. Pleasing because he was relieved that Harry had someone he trusted; James well knew that he could trust Remus with his life (and the lives of his wife and daughters). Disquieting because it hurt to think that Remus might know his daughter better than he did.

Still, if James was honest with himself, he had to admit that he didn’t really ask Harry what she was doing with all the time she spent in the Potter potions laboratory. It was just so unfair that her passion was one that brought with it so many troubling memories of his younger years. 

He’d paid large amounts of gold to ensure that the Potter potions lab was safe and well stocked, even biting his pride to commission Sirius’s estranged brother, Wards Master Regulus Black, to safely ward the lab to contain explosions. Regulus might be a Dark Pureblood and a more than a bit of a prat, but he was discreet and had a reputation for high quality work. James had assumed - _hoped_ \- that that was enough to allow Harry to indulge her passion and keep her safe and out of trouble. 

At least Harry would be safe today. If he recalled correctly, she’d said last night that she was planning on visiting Hermione today, and maybe even bringing Archie along to introduce them. The muggle world had challenges all of its own, but at least it had none of the dangers of Knockturn or the Lower Alleys.

\- - - - - - -

Despite being an Auror for well over a decade, even with the depressing frequency with which he and his team ended up injured or spell damaged (the best efforts of Alastor Moody to train the Auror force to avoid trouble were sadly unable to prevent every injury), James could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he'd been to the Maywell Clinic in the Lower Alleys, and still have fingers left over. And that was after he'd met Leo Hurst's parents. 

Special arrangements and emergency portkeys encouraged Aurors to go straight to St Mungos should they need treatment. James had heard extremely positive things about Maywell Clinic and Eleni Hurst from Sirius, but it was just not part of standard operating procedure to seek treatment from anywhere other than St Mungos.

Unless you happened to be an Auror who crashed into a heavily laden wagon right outside Maywell whilst in pursuit of a fugitive. 

Chases through the alleys weren't common, but Auror Tonks' skills tended towards espionage and information gathering rather than pursuit. Still, as James understood it, the staff at the Clinic had seen Tonks's collision and immediately brought the unconscious Auror inside to tend to her, freeing up her partner to continue the chase instead of portkeying Tonks to St Mungos. 

James wasn't quite sure those actions followed best practice procedure, after all, Aurors were in pairs for a reason, but he'd think carefully about what transpired before raising the matter with Tonks and Auror Murphy. He'd have a chat with Moody too.

But for now, his attention was focused on Auror Tonks and making sure that she was okay. 

Healer Hurst greeted him as he Flooed in. 

"Head Auror, thanks for your quick response. It's not often we have injured Aurors at Maywell," she said in a calm no nonsense fashion. 

"It's James, please, Healer Hurst," he responded, quickly explaining about the Auror portkeys to St Mungos.

"That explains it," she said, with a wry smile. "St Mungos receives bonus funding when treating injured Aurors, so of course they'd make sure they didn't get treatment elsewhere. And it's Eleni, not Healer Hurst. Our children are friends; we've had dinner together."

"Eleni, then," James replied. "And how is Leo?" he asked politely, although a part of him wished very much that his almost fifteen year old daughter and Eleni’s several years older son weren't friends at all. At least Harry was visiting Hermione with Archie today.

"Keeping out of trouble, or at least I hope he is," she said with a laugh. "It's sometimes hard to keep track of what they're getting up to."

"I couldn't agree more," James replied whole heartedly, thinking of what he apparently did not know of his eldest daughter's activities.

"Sometimes I think it's better not to know," she said. James wasn't so sure.

"Still, you didn't come here to talk about our children, you came to see how your Auror was doing." She steered him into an examination room several doors down the corridor across from the Floo room.

Tonks was sitting up on an examination bed. Her normally brightly coloured hair was a mousy brown and she was looking a bit dazed still. Next to her, casting a diagnostic charm on his injured Auror was a bushy haired young witch James thought he recognised from the airport as Hermione Granger. And on the other side of the bed was... Archie?!?

"Hi Uncle James," Archie said brightly.

"Archie," James replied. "I thought you were spending the day with Harry and Hermione."

"I am," said Archie. "You remember Hermione, don't you?" He gestured to the bushy haired young witch who had now finished the diagnostic charm.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Potter," said Hermione politely. 

A door closed on a cabinet on the other side of the room. James turned around.

"Harry?!?"

"Hi Dad."


	3. Wednesday, The Pasta Palace, Aroma Alley

In hindsight, James supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised to find Harry and Archie at the Maywell Clinic with Hermione. Harry and Hermione were both in the healing track at AIM, and Archie had long expressed an interest in being a healer. 

(Which made reports back about Archie's potions focus at Hogwarts, and his apprenticeship with Snape somewhat perplexing, but you never could tell with kids. Certainly Harry's school reports from AIM showed a level of enthusiasm for healing that he hadn't expected from his previously potions obsessed daughter).

Still, it had been a bit of a shock to find Harry in the Lower Alleys again, particularly after his warning on Monday evening about the dangers of Knockturn and the Lower Alleys, although he supposed she could have just Flooed to Maywell. 

Apparently that's what Hermione did when she was interning at Maywell, as she was for these first two weeks of the summer holidays. After that, Hermione and her family were going to be spending some time in France and Italy, and Harry would be joining them. He was glad to see Harry had a close female friend; at least he wouldn't be worried about her spending time with those older older boys, Leo Hurst and Caelum Lestrange. 

James was a bit surprised at how nicely the timing of Harry's trip worked out; the time Harry would be away coincided neatly with the time Archie would be away on the his grand prize world tour with Lord Riddle. 

At least neither of them would be lonely without the other; he had initially been worried that Harry without Archie would be rather lost over the summer, although he supposed that she had managed to occupy herself last summer when Archie was in the Darien Gap.

Sirius wasn't so happy about Archie's trip with Riddle; it was yet another summer where his only son would be spending most of his time away. It was bad enough that Archie was at Hogwarts for the majority of the year, although when Sirius complained about that, James just reminded him that at least his child wasn't on another continent.

Archie hadn't been too keen on the trip with Riddle, at least not at first. Lately he appeared to have accepted it and was maybe even looking forward to the trip now. Perhaps the trip included meeting famous Healers and Potions Masters and that had sparked his interest? James wasn't sure. 

None of the family seemed happy with the prospect of Archie spending so much time close to Riddle; Harry, strangely enough seemed particularly unpleased at the prospect. He supposed that Riddle's politics hit Harry in a way James as a Pureblood just couldn't fully appreciate, although he had thought Harry had long since accepted that Hogwarts was closed to her.

James sighed as he turned his attention back to his inbox. He'd only just gotten into the office and already it was overflowing. He looked at his daily schedule. Meetings, meetings, more bloody meetings. At least he wouldn't have to worry about running into Harry in the Lower Alleys today. He had some vague recollection that she was meeting a potioneer friend for lunch.

\- - - - - - - 

In retrospect, James shouldn't have been surprised that he ended up in the Lower Alleys because of Auror Tonks. There'd been a sighting of her suspect, and she hadn't hesitated to leap into the situation with all the enthusiasm of youth but none of the experience, tact or diplomacy of that came with age. 

Tonks, for all that she was enthusiastic and well meaning, was a bit of a trouble magnet. Much like Archie at Hogwarts, James mused, surprising though that was, given the type of trouble poor Arch had attracted over the last four years.

Unfortunately for James, the irate shopkeeper Tonks had upset wouldn't settle for an apology from anyone less than the Head Auror, so he donned his Auror Cloak and headed off for the Lower Alleys. 

If he was honest with himself, James was less than unhappy that he'd had to send his apologies to his afternoon meetings, just in case he didn't get back in time. Regardless of the Minister's fondness for him, he didn't think that his attendance at the Minister's press conference was all that essential; Dawlish had that all in hand and even seemed to enjoy those events.

James groaned when he realised the storekeeper who wanted an apology from the Head Auror was the proprietor of the Serpent's Storeroom, Edgar Krait. Just his luck. 

\- - - - - - - 

"Don't expect me to go easy on you at the next training session," he muttered to Tonks as they left the apothecary. James didn't think that he'd been too heavy handed on Monday night, but apparently Krait thought otherwise, and hadn't passed up the opportunity for some mild retribution two days later. 

"Sorry boss," said Tonks. Her hair, though still pink and not the mousy brown of yesterday, was somehow less bright than normal, perhaps a reflection on her mood. 

"It's just that I thought I had my suspect, and then it turned out it wasn't him. I didn't expect the store keeper to be quite so touchy though. I hope I haven't been blacklisted. He sells the same potions as Horace Burke, same quality brews at a much more reasonable price."

James had to work hard to hide his pride at that; it turned out that Harry supplied the Serpent's Storeroom with more than just her protection potion, and Krait sold a lot of Harry's potions in bulk to Horace Burke. Even he knew that Horace Burke's Owl Order Service had a reputation for quality.

"Hey boss," said Tonks, turning away from Diagon Alley, "while we're down here, why don't we grab some lunch in Aroma Alley? I fancy some Italian, and a couple of people have recommended The Pasta Palace to me. They say it's the best pasta place in the alleys." 

"Sounds like a good idea boss," chimed in Auror Murphy. "Leo's been spot on with his other recommendations. That Chinese restaurant we went to the other day was to die for. And the Shepherds Pie we had at the Dancing Phoenix last week was the best Shepherds Pie I've ever tasted. Heaps better than the Leaky Cauldron."

"Leo?" James wondered out aloud.

"Just an informant, a kid we met in the alleys," said Tonks with a blush. "He's been very helpful - he seems to know everyone and everything about the alleys."

"Works part time at the Maywell clinic, and runs errands for his dad," added Murphy. 

"Leo Hurst?" asked James. "Son of the Potions Guild Aldermaster?"

"That sounds about right," said Tonks, pointedly trying to show her disinterest in the topic of Leo, but failing dismally. "Why, do you know him?"

"He's a friend of my daughter," said James, repressing a scowl more successfully than Tonks suppressed her interest in Leo, although his heart lifted at the thought that Leo might be more interested in Tonks than Harry. "Although I think he's closer to your age than hers. I've met him once or twice."

"So how about it boss? Lunch at The Pasta Palace?" 

James thought briefly about the meetings he should attend if he left for the office now, and the miserable food available in the Ministry canteen. Perhaps he could gather a bit more intelligence on Leo, ah, the Lower Alleys, if he spent more time here. He could also use this as an opportunity to mentor two young up and coming Aurors. Not a hard decision to make.

"Yeah, why not," he said. "Lead the way."

\- - - - - - - 

If the quality of restaurant was indicated by its popularity, then The Pasta Palace was indeed an excellent Italian restaurant. They had to wait in a queue for at least 15 minutes, teased by tantalising aromas, before they were finally seated.

Tonks had once explained to him that one of the downsides of being a metamorphmagus was that she was often clumsy, as it sometimes took her mind time to catch up with her changed dimensions. She aptly demonstrated this downside to Murphy, James, and the staff and patrons of The Pasta Palace when she tripped and fell - right into Dark Pureblood Heir Caelum Lestrange's lap.

James had not expected to see the Dark Pureblood Heir at a restaurant in the Lower Alleys.

As the extremely unimpressed Lestrange Heir struggled to disentangle himself from his estranged cousin, James found that it was Lestrange’s lunch companion who provided a greater shock to his system.

"Harry?!?"

"Dad?!?"


	4. Thursday, Lamia Lodge, via Knockturn Alley

James was feeling decidedly disgruntled this morning. None of the other adults had had a problem with Harry lunching with Caelum Lestrange at The Pasta Palace. 

At dinner last night Remus had merely said that he’d heard good things about that particular restaurant, although he was strangely silent on who’d made those recommendations. 

James had been forced to admit that the food was indeed very good, and Lily said it sounded like a nice place for a family meal. Lily had been quite entranced by Remus’s description of Aroma Alley, or “the Eating Place”, as the locals called it, and wanted to check it out. 

Archie mentioned he’d been to a couple of places in Aroma Alley for lunch and had always enjoyed the food. He pointed out that there was nothing unsafe about having lunch in the middle of the day in Aroma Alley, and that Harry was far more likely to get ill from eating at the Hogs Head Inn on the Main Street of Hogsmeade than she was in Aroma Alley. 

Harry didn’t say anything much; she just pushed her peas around her plate rather disconsolately. Addy alternated between babbling about pasta and throwing her peas at Harry when Lily wasn’t looking. 

Archie wondered aloud why peas were so often part of the menu when no one liked them. That encouraged Sirius (also not a huge fan of peas) to throw his peas at Archie. 

Who of course retaliated by banishing all of his remaining peas onto Sirius’s plate. Which just led to more pea throwing before Sirius moved onto bombing Archie with his Brussel sprouts (another unpopular vegetable). 

All in all, a typical family dinner at Grimmauld Place. 

Once Harry had retired to the Potter potions lab with Archie, leaving only the adults and Addy at Grimmauld Place, Sirius had pointed out that Harry hadn’t actually lied to James. She’d just omitted a few pieces of information. 

“Yeah, like who she was having lunch with and where she was was having lunch,” growled James. 

“She told you she was having lunch with a potioneer friend. It’s not like you asked her for details,” retorted Sirius. 

“But it was Caelum Lestrange!” James exclaimed, studiously ignoring the fact that he had a habit of not going into the details of Harry’s activities. 

“So?” asked Lily. 

“He’s a Dark Pureblood!”

“Technically, so am I,” retorted Sirius. “So what?”

“He’s a Lestrange! Bellatrix’s son!”

“So he’s got the misfortune of having Bellatrix as a mother, _and_ Rodolphus as a father. You can’t blame the kid because of his parents. Or have you forgotten who my parents were and what they were like?” asked Sirius. 

“You can’t pick your family, Dear,” Lily said. “And you shouldn’t judge a person by their family either. I’m sure you remember my sister and brother-in-law. You wouldn’t want people to judge me based on them, would you?”

All four adults shuddered at that thought. The events at Harry’s christening, the last time the Potters had invited the Dursleys to a family function, had scarred them all. Never again. 

“But he’s a boy. A teenage boy!”

“You were a teenage boy once, Dear,” Lily said soothingly. 

“I think that’s why James doesn’t want Harry spending time with him,” snickered Sirius. 

James glared ineffectually at Sirius. Sirius was correct. And what was worse, James brooded, was that Lestrange was a teenage boy who was _older_ than his precious Fawn. 

“He’s one of the two potioneers Harry interned with,” Remus added. “Let them talk potions. It’s not like we can fully appreciate Harry’s potions achievements.”

“I don’t think Harry’s really interested in boys yet anyway,” mused Lily. “There’s never been any hint of such an interest in any of her letters. And the only time she’s ever invited anyone to Potter Place was to brew or discuss potions.”

Unfortunately for Lily, that just reminded James about Leo Hurst. “Another older teenage boy,” he moaned. 

“Would it have been better if Harry had been having lunch with Leo Hurst?” asked Remus curiously. 

“No. Yes. I don’t know. Harry shouldn’t be having lunch with any boys.” 

Lily laughed. James looked at Addy as she yawned. “All boys are evil, my darling Adriana. Just you remember that.”

“Poor James,” Lily said as she gently patted his back then scooped Addy out of her high chair. “Now don’t you listen to your silly father.” She smiled sweetly. “Boys have their uses. Sometimes.” 

\- - - - - - - 

Needless to say, James didn’t sleep well that night; broken dreams of Harry and multitudes of faceless, nameless teenage boys, had left him tired and cranky, so he was less than happy when he got the urgent report, mid afternoon, that there was a brouhaha with one of the vampire covens in the Lower Alleys that required the Head Auror. 

“Which coven is it this time?” he groaned. Please tell me that it’s not the Carpathians.”

“It’s the Strigoi Shrouds, boss,” reported Auror Tunstin. 

James relaxed a little at that. The Shrouds were generally reasonable and were much easier to deal with than the Carpathian Clan and the mercurial and unpredictable Countess Maricara. More so since the Carpathians attacked the Shrouds several months ago. 

“Is the disturbance at Lamia Lodge?” James asked. “Let me guess, it’s Aurors Tonks and Murphy, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” replied Tunstin. “On both counts.”

There was a muffled burst of laughter from Alastor Moody’s direction. 

“I’ll need some Senior Aurors as a sign of respect. Moody, sounds like you’re available.”

Without too much quibbling from his troops James quickly pulled together a small team of Senior Aurors: Kingsley Shacklebolt, John Dawlish and Alastor Moody. 

“Vampires respect age,” he told the grizzled Auror when Moody grumbled about joining the team. “Besides, think of this as an opportunity for direct, hands-on training for Tonks and Murphy.”

\- - - - - - - 

James would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t feel any trepidation as he approached Lamia Lodge. 

It was an imposing building that was far from welcoming. Its windows were narrow, and were either blackened or boarded up. There were scorch marks on the uppermost levels and on the front porch, a record of the Carpathians’ past altercation with the Shrouds. 

James knocked on the pock marked front door. Its hinges squealed as the door opened onto a musty narrow hallway. 

“Moody, come with me. Shacklebolt and Dawlish, wait outside. You’re our backup. I’ll send a patronus if needed.”

James stepped cautiously inside. The hallway soon opened onto a slightly larger room that appeared to be functioning as a reception area. 

A rather sickly looking vampire was seated behind a broken down old desk. Not that vampires ever looked particularly healthy; but there was something not quite right about this vampire.

Auror Murphy stood off to one side, locked in furious argument with a red haired vampiress who just looked amused. Tonks stood in a corner looking like she'd rather be anywhere else other than here. 

James strode forward confidently. He’d long since learnt how to hide any nervousness he might feel. 

“I’m Head Auror James Potter, and I’m here to try to resolve this situation. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

The sickly looking vampire looked closely at James. “I am Gavril, and this is my mate Irena,” the vampire said in its breathy voice. “You smell somehow familiar, but not quite. Have you visited Lamia Lodge before, Head Auror James Potter?”

“Not for many years, Mr Gavril,” James replied, somewhat nonplussed, but attempting courtesy nevertheless. “How may we resolve this?”

The vampire laughed, fangs flashing as he did. “So like the Rogue’s little messenger bird. How apt. We vampires do not need titles. Only Count Aurel. But I digress. The problem is that your Auror refuses to accept that we have not given sanctuary to the suspect they are chasing.”

“Then who entered before we did? I know I saw your front door close behind someone, and our suspect was no longer in sight. Ergo, our suspect must be here somewhere,” Murphy insisted. 

James mentally face palmed. Behind him, Moody snorted. No wonder Tonks looked like she wanted to be somewhere else. There were holes in Murphy’s theory big enough to fly a dragon through. 

Murphy’s tenacity was often a strength; at times like this it became stubborn pig headedness that was not helpful. 

“Are you not chasing a wizard, Auror?” asked the vampiress. “Could he not have simply apparated away?” There was boredom in her voice, as if she’d said this previously and had been rejected. 

Clearly this was what had happened. Murphy simply refused to accept that he was wrong. James idly wondered what it would take for Murphy to change his mind. 

"Has it occurred to you, Auror, that someone other than your suspect could be visiting Lamia Lodge?" asked the vampire, as a dark clad figure with a familiar head of black hair and green eyes emerged from the basement stairs into the reception.  
  
"Harry?!?"

"Dad?!?"


	5. Friday, the Dancing Phoenix, Kyprioth Court

James had rarely been so glad for Friday to arrive. What a week it had been. Thank goodness it was almost the weekend when he’d finally have a chance to relax - and try to make sense of everything that had happened this week. 

At least his daily schedule was fairly light today, and thankfully there was not too much in his inbox this morning, because he was exhausted. 

He’d barely slept a wink last night, worrying about his little Fawn and vampires. 

A vampire hotel! His little Fawn had been talking to a vampire in a vampire hotel about essences and potions ingredients. Potions ingredients! 

And to think that James had thought (with no small amount of relief) that Harry’s potions obsession had abated somewhat and that she was becoming more interested in healing than potions. 

He was so sure that he’d even overheard Harry talking to Archie about a healing kit the other day, but no, she was still obsessed with potions. 

He reflected sadly that he really did not know his daughter and all that she got up to. To think that he’d thought that Archie was the troublemaker out of the two of them. 

Knockturn Alley apothecaries? A vampire hotel? The Lestrange Heir? James was starting to feel that Harry’s antics this past week would soon rival Archie’s Hogwarts incidents. 

He’d had an extremely hard time controlling himself. If it hadn’t been for the need to present a professional face for his Auror colleagues, he might have really lost it. 

James really didn’t know how to handle the recent revelations about Harry’s activities, particularly her apparent familiarity with Knockturn and the Lower Alleys, and her friendship with the Lestrange Heir. And vampires. Vampires!

Yesterday wasn’t even the first time Harry had visited the vampires at the Lamia Lodge. Apparently she’d met the essence obsessed vampire - Kasten, James thought his name was - through some contretemps involving mislabeled potions ingredients. 

Harry had been rather vague on details of how she came to be involved with the vampires of Lamia Lodge, but she had waxed lyrical about Kasten’s essence collection and how these essences could be utilised in potions. 

His little Fawn was growing up and becoming startlingly independent - and he reluctantly realised, albeit proudly, frighteningly competent. 

James did have to admit to himself that he was proud of the way Harry had handled herself around the vampires. She had a lot more tact and sense than Auror Murphy and genuinely seemed to get on well with all of them, even the grumpy Gavril. 

James made a mental note to investigate stronger ties with the vampire covens, as well as running a refresher course for all Aurors on Auror-vampire relations. 

At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Harry today. She’d said she was checking out apothecaries for ingredients today, and maybe having lunch with some friends. 

James refused to consider that he purposely did not ask who or where; perhaps he was starting to think that Eleni Hurst was right - that sometimes it was better not to know.

Besides, what could possibly be worse than finding his not quite fifteen year old daughter visiting a vampire hotel? 

\- - - - - - -

The morning dragged on. His relatively empty in tray rapidly filled up with lengthy interdepartmental memos. 

Why did the Auror Department have to comment on proposed changes to cauldron bottom thickness regulations? Frowning, James scribbled “Jeremy, for any necessary action”, and banished the memo to Master Grindel’s in tray. Let the Department’s Potions Master work out if this was something the Auror Force needed to worry about. 

James was just trying to decide who in the department was going to be the lucky recipient of the next memo (a request for the Auror Department’s comments on proposed changes to the regulation of certain XXXX magical creatures) when the Auror Backup Required Alarm sounded. 

“Five galleons it’s Tonks and Murphy,” called out Aberly. 

“I don’t take bets on sure things,” responded the Department’s unofficial bookie, Clarence Billowag. 

James scowled. He’d be more than happy to put money on it being Tonks and Murphy too. Their current investigation had certainly been fraught; it stood to reason that was continuing. 

(James blithely ignored the fact the most of his frustration with that pair of Aurors lay with the unfortunate encounters that had arisen with his daughter). 

“Aberly, Billowag, if you’ve got time to make jokes about your colleagues in danger, you’ve got time to help them out. Grab your gear and come with me. The Backup Required Alarm’s no joke.”

\- - - - - - -

The Backup Required Alarm might not be a joke, but it turned out that this was a false alarm. 

Murphy had been startled when the three Aurors apparated in to the coordinates provided by the alarm. Tonks had been embarrassed. Their suspect had fled in the kerfuffle. 

A red faced Tonks confessed that she’d tripped, fallen, and accidentally landed on the alarm button and been unable to turn it off. How she’d actually managed to set it off bore further investigation; the device was supposed to be able to filter out unintentional hits. 

James quickly sent Aberly and Billowag back to the office. He was sorry now that he’d picked those particular Aurors to accompany him; Aberly and Billowag were the biggest gossips in the office, and they wouldn’t hesitate to tease the luckless Tonks and Murphy. 

James looked at the somewhat dejected pair of Aurors in front of him. He sighed internally. He could still remember what it was like to be a newly minted young Auror, full of enthusiasm and dedication to the cause. 

The years might have jaded him, but not that much that he didn’t have sympathy for them. He could share his experiences, impart what wisdom he’d learned over the years, and bolster their flagging spirits. 

They meant well, their hearts were in the right place, and that was something that couldn’t be taught. Everything else could. 

“Come on,” James said, “we’ll have a quick debrief somewhere more comfortable than,” he squinted at the street sign in the distance, not sure precisely where he'd apparated to in a hurry, “Dogwood Lane. I can share a few of my early tales as an Auror. You’re certainly far from the first Aurors to run into unexpected situations or suffer false alarms. Besides,” he added, “it’s much better that you have a false alarm than to have a real emergency where the back up alarm doesn’t work.”

Tonks perked up at that. “Thanks boss. Hey, I know where we can go,” she said brightly, “we’re close to the Dancing Phoenix. We can grab an early lunch.”

“You just want a chance to run into Leo,” teased Murphy. 

“And you want to knock back an opportunity to have some of the best Shepherds Pie in the alleys?” Tonks retorted, cheeks reddening. “I don’t think so.”

James didn’t mind if Tonks ran into Leo. Far better than Harry running into Leo, he thought. 

“Sure, why not?” Lead the way,” he said. He was fond of Shepherds Pie, and if Tonks and Leo happened to hit it off, that was one less worry for him. 

\- - - - - - -

It turned out that the Dancing Phoenix was the site of the fire and brawl in the alleys several years ago, the night that he’d grounded Harry when she Flooed home at midnight. 

“I thought this place burnt down several years ago,” James said to the innkeeper when he came to collect their orders. It was not quite midday and they were the only customers visible in the inn. 

“That was the old inn, the Dancing Dragon. It’s since been rebuilt. This here’s the Dancing Phoenix. She was reborn from the ashes of the old, as her name suggests,” replied the innkeeper. “My name’s Solom, and I’m proud to have been part of her rebirth.”

“I’m James,” James replied, “James Potter, and I think you already know my colleagues, Aurors Nymphadora Tonks and Winston Murphy, given how much they’ve raved about your Shepherds Pie.”

“Aye, I do know Auror Tonks and Auror Murphy.” He winked at Tonks. “Leo’s not available at the moment, but he did say he might pop out here later.”

Tonks blushed. 

“Now what can I do for you?” Solom asked. 

“We’d all like some of your famous Shepherds Pie, and some pumpkin juice,” said James. 

“Coming right up,” said Solom as he left to fill their order. 

“Sorry guys, we’re on the clock,” James added at Murphy’s disappointed face. “Just be thankful I didn’t order milk for you. It’s my daughter’s favourite beverage,” he explained in response to their nonplussed looks. “Lunch is on me though.”

\- - - - - - -

James found the lunch very pleasant. Solom’s Shepherds Pie _was_ easily the best James had tasted, and this was coming from someone who regularly enjoyed the best cooking that Lily and Sirius had to offer. 

Tonks in particular was keenly interested in the tales of his early Auror days, and they all had a good laugh at some of the ah, situations, that he and his then partner (Sirius) had found themselves in. 

Tonks and Murphy left first, eager to get back to their investigation. James hoped they’d taken a few of his tips on board. He liked to think that they’d be able to learn from some of his and Sirius’s mistakes without repeating them. 

James was just leaving when he heard a sudden loud cheer from beyond the kitchen. Curious, he made his way over to the kitchen and spotted a door that appeared to lead to a beer garden or courtyard out the back. 

Discreetly he made his way over to the door and carefully traversed the corridor to the courtyard beyond. 

There was quite a crowd in the courtyard and they were eagerly cheering on two … free duellers? Still, free dueling wasn’t technically illegal unless it was part of a tournament. 

From his vantage point at the entrance to the courtyard James had to admit that the pair were very skilled, particularly the bronze haired lad. His black haired opponent was pretty good too. Some of his moves were vaguely reminiscent of Archie’s in the tournament. 

(James, Sirius and Remus might not have attended the remaining tasks in person, but they _had_ watched them on the mirror in Diagon Alley. There was no way that Sirius wasn’t going to watch his son, and there was no way that James and Remus were going to let Sirius watch Archie by himself.)

Wait. Was that Leo Hurst? James moved closer. He scowled. He’d always known that Hurst kid was up to no good. 

And then he caught sight of the black haired lad’s green eyes...

“Harry?!?”

“Dad?!?”


	6. Saturday, No.8 Dogwood Lane

Harry didn’t exactly sneak out of Potter Place on Saturday morning - she did leave a note explaining that she was taking potions to the Serpent’s Storeroom and checking out apothecaries for ingredients - but she didn’t really want to advertise her presence - or her departure. 

Yesterday had been the culmination of an emotionally exhausting week. She was still reeling from her father finding her free dueling with Leo yesterday, and that was on top of James learning about Harry’s other activities in the Lower Alleys.

He’d been shocked to learn that she’d been selling her potions to a Knockturn Alley apothecary, upset that she was having lunch in the Lower Alleys with Caelum Lestrange, and horrified to learn about her visiting Kasten and the other vampires at Lamia Lodge. (Spending time with Hermione was acceptable, even if they were meeting in the alleys, namely at Maywell.)

Thankfully the other adults had generally been supportive of her activities, (friendships with vampires excepted), and even gently critical of James’s overprotectiveness.

Yesterday Remus had reminded James that free dueling wasn’t technically illegal unless Harry was competing in a tournament, which, Remus pointedly said, _she wasn’t_. There was no discussion of Harry apparating without a licence; it appeared (thankfully!) that James had arrived too late to see her (illegally) apparating around the courtyard of the Dancing Phoenix during her duel with Leo. 

Lily was pleased that Harry was taking self defence seriously, while Sirius just noted that Archie’s dueling training had stood him in good stead in the tournament. (Remus had a strange look on his face as Sirius said that; Harry refused to think about what that could possibly mean). 

While dinner had been rather tense and somewhat less than pleasant, James had eventually calmed down. Harry did understand that her father’s attitude was because he was concerned for her safety; that he worried that free dueling was dangerous. That didn’t make it any easier to deal with, though, and once more the guilt about the secrets she was keeping surged to the foreground.

Harry’s relationship with her father had often been challenging, moreso in recent years, and this week had been a roller coaster ride of emotions as one by one, secrets Harry kept from her parents were revealed. 

Sure, Harry loved her father and her family unconditionally and she would (and had, thinking back to the Chamber of Secrets, the mad magical construct and basilisk fang) do anything to keep them safe. 

She knew that James also loved her unconditionally, but she also knew and James didn’t really understand each other. He just didn’t _get_ her passion for potions.

But now that she was older, Harry resolved to try and get to know her father better. James was a celebrated Auror with plenty of fighting experience. Perhaps James helping Harry with her self defence training could strengthen their relationship. 

\- - - - - - - 

Harry was still mulling over her father and the events of the last week as she spun clumsily out of the Floo at the Leaky Cauldron, her potions crates clutched to her chest. 

If it wasn’t for the strong arms that caught her, crates and all, before she sprawled all over the floor, she would have embarrassed herself with her poor Flooing technique. 

(Experience had long taught her to always apply cushioning charms to any and all potions bottles that traveled through the Floo with her; this morning’s work was thankfully never at risk). 

“There, there, lass. I’ve got you.”

“Leo? What brings you up to the Leaky so early?”

“Something told me that my services were required to shepherd your potions safely to Krait,” he said with a smile as he helped Harry regain her balance. 

“Feels just like old times,” Harry smiled back. 

“Not quite. Listen lass, there’s something serious I need to talk to you about.” The light hearted teasing had left his voice, to be replaced with more solemn tones. 

“Can you tell me while we walk?” she asked, handing him a crate to carry. 

“Best wait till we get to Krait’s,” he replied. “After the week you’ve had, you probably should be careful.”

“Alright,” she nodded. She hadn’t told Leo about all the encounters she’d had with her father in the alleys this week, but he probably already knew, regardless. 

Leo’s ears kept a close watch on the happenings in the alleys; Krait would have mentioned the run in with her father at the Serpent’s Storeroom, and she was sure Leo’s mother kept her son apprised of events at Maywell, given his ‘job’ there. 

The encounter between Caelum’s lap and his estranged halfblood cousin was probably the subject of much mirth in the alleys; the expression on Caelum’s face had been priceless. Many of the patrons had laughed at his reaction to Tonks’s clumsiness.

(Harry herself would have howled with laughter if she hadn’t been horrified at her father finding her in the alleys yet again, and lunching with the Dark Pureblood Lestrange Heir, no less). 

Leo was probably as aghast as James had been at hearing of her visiting the Lamia Lodge vampires, and Leo had been made blisteringly aware of James’s discovery of their free dueling session in the Phoenix’s courtyard.

Luckily for the Phoenix’s other customers, James’s vociferous fixation on her and Leo had allowed them to slip away unregarded. She’d dueled Curse Breakin’ Will earlier that morning; she was pretty certain she remembered James speaking to Bill Weasley at Dumbledore’s soiree, and she was equally certain that Will didn’t want to come to the attention of the Head Auror whilst in the Lower Alleys. 

\- - - - - - - 

“It’s about your apartment in Dogwood Lane, lass,” Leo said to her once they’d emptied her crates of potions bottles and were safe in the privacy of Krait’s storeroom.

“What about my apartment?” asked Harry, trying to hide the worry in her voice. Of all her lower alleys activities, her apartment was the one secret that she couldn’t afford her father to find out. 

The timing wasn’t right. Not yet, least of all because she was brewing her modified polyjuice there. Her apartment was her back up plan; if James was to find out about it now, the plausible deniability her family had, the plausible deniability that was so important, particularly for her muggleborn mother, and halfblood werewolf uncle, would be lost.

She wished now that she hadn’t told Mrs Whitlock that it was okay to tell anyone from the Ministry that Harry Potter rented the apartment.

“I overheard those young Aurors, Tonks and Murphy, talking about an investigation that had led them to Dogwood Lane. I don’t know if it was your apartment they were looking into, but I thought I’d better let you know.”

Harry groaned, her mind frantically trying to come up with a strategy that would preserve her biggest secret. She needed to keep safe the modified polyjuice she had brewing in her apartment. 

In a week she was leaving with Riddle on the tournament’s grand prize, the world tour. She could not afford to leave without her modified polyjuice on her at all times, primed and ready to go. 

She’d already completed her supply of blended hairs, and she had a stash of regular polyjuice as an emergency backup, but she needed her modified polyjuice. It didn’t keep as long as the regular polyjuice, so she needed as fresh a batch as possible when she left, and it took a month to brew. She didn’t have time to start again.

“Leo, would you be able to do something for me, no questions asked?”

“Of course, lass,” he replied immediately. “There’s no need to ask; I made a commitment to you, regardless, and I’m not backing away from it.”

Harry sighed with relief at that, as she remembered his words from what seemed a lifetime ago. 

“ _Harry, I don't care if what you're doing is dangerous, illegal, unethical, or just plain crazy. When you need help, you will come to me, and I will give it to you. Deal_?”

“Do you have somewhere safe where you can brew potions?”

“Of course.” He smiled. “Son of the Potions Guild Aldermaster, remember? I might not be a potions prodigy, but old habits die hard.”

“Of course.” She frowned. “We need to get to my apartment right away and get a brewing cauldron to your place immediately. Do you mind if I side-along apparate you?”

Leo gently grasped her arm. “Ready when you are.”

One stomach turning apparition later they were in the living room of her apartment. A quick glance around the room showed that the only overtly suspicious thing in the room was the cauldron of modified polyjuice, quietly bubbling away in a corner.

Leo gave a sharp sniff and stalked over to the cauldron. “Polyjuice?” he questioned. 

Harry nodded. Dammit. She was so used to the smell of potions ingredients; the various odours from her brews didn’t bother her anymore, and she’d forgotten to put air freshening charms around the cauldron. 

To those who knew about such things, the place absolutely reeked of polyjuice, and people with sensitive noses would notice the smell, even if they didn’t know what it was.

“But I’ve seen you go for more than an hour without drinking anything,” Leo said, confused.

“Shh,” she said as they heard voices from the lane outside. She recognised her father’s voice, giving instructions to other aurors, and grimaced. 

Today was a Saturday. James Potter was supposed to be spending the day at home. What was the Head Auror doing in the alleys, outside her apartment of all places? The whole reason he became Head Auror, as much as he preferred field work, was because it was more family friendly, rarely involving weekend work.

“Please, just go,” she said urgently, hoping against hope that the Aurors hadn’t put up anti-apparition wards or disconnected the Floo. “I need that cauldron safe,” she said, opening a window. “I’ll be fine. I’ll meet you at the Phoenix in half an hour.”

“If you say so, lass,” Leo said, grabbing the cauldron and apparating away.

Harry’s relief was short-lived. 

There was a sharp knocking on the front door.

“Open up, Aurors,” came her father’s voice. 

Harry quickly looked around the apartment. Was there anything here that could give her away? The furnishings were pretty nondescript; there was nothing that gave any hint to the person who (apparently) lived here. The only indication that a brewer spent time here was the potions books on the bookshelf. 

She silently vanished a book she’d made notes in; she didn’t think the Aurors would investigate in that much detail, but she had to be careful. She had another copy at Potter Place anyway.

“It doesn’t sound like anyone’s home,” she heard one of the other Aurors, possibly Caelum’s cousin Tonks, say through the door.

“We still need to investigate,” James insisted, as Harry felt solidarity for all the lower alleys residents and shopkeepers who’d been subjected to Auror raids.

She tried to apparate away. Dammit. They’d put anti-apparition wards up now. There was no point trying the Floo; that would have been blocked much earlier. 

Harry thanked Leo’s favourite trickster god, Kyprioth, that Leo and her precious cauldron of modified polyjuice had apparated out just in time.

As the door burst open with a loud _Bombarda,_ Harry transformed into her raven and flew out the window.

\- - - - - - - 

James entered the apartment as a large black bird flew out the living room window. He looked around carefully, wand drawn and ready. 

The apartment appeared empty. There was no sign of occupation, the only thing distinguishing this from hundreds of other apartments in the alleys was the small bookshelf filled with potions books.

He was sure he’d heard the kids across the street mention that a Harry lived here when Murphy had asked the old lady who owned the place who she rented it to. 

She’d been unexpectedly hostile to their inquiries, refusing to give any details of her tenant, and scoffing when Murphy mentioned the complaints the downstairs neighbour had made about unpleasant smells emanating from above. The neighbour had suggested that the tenant was illegally brewing something. The landlady was very dismissive of such complaints. Her tenant was a model tenant, she’d insisted. No trouble at all.

“Harry?” James asked the empty apartment, but Harry wasn't there. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the Harry Get Some Sleep discord server for the suggestion that sparked my muse.


End file.
